Thankless in Death by JD Robb

Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Date of publication: September 2013

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has plenty to be grateful for this season. Hosting Roarke’s big Irish family for the holiday may be challenging, but it’s a joyful improvement on her own dark childhood.

Other couples aren’t as lucky as Eve and Roarke. The Reinholds, for example, are lying in their home stabbed and bludgeoned almost beyond recognition. Those who knew them are stunned—and heartbroken by the evidence that they were murdered by their own son. Twenty-six-year-old Jerry hadn’t made a great impression on the bosses who fired him or the girlfriend who dumped him—but they didn’t think he was capable of this.

While not the best in the series, the latest book, Thankless in Death was still a pretty enjoyable read.   In the days leading up to a big Thanksgiving dinner, Eve Dallas is on the hunt for a killer.  The difference with his book was that we know who the killer is from the beginning of the book.  It was a nice change from the usual mystery in that the reader gets to see how Eve goes about catching a known killer.  It was a good and well laid out plot.  The book also contains the usual humor and the usual cast of characters.  It was nice to check in with the family from Ireland.  I think that fans of the series will enjoy the book.  I can't wait to see what is next for Eve and the crew!

Review: Calculated in Death by J. D. Robb

Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Date of Publication: February 2013

On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better.

A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn't seem the type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence.

But when someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait. . . 
  
If you are a follower of this blog, you know that I am a sucker for this series.  It's an automatic hold for me at my library.  I just love Eve Dallas and Roarke. Their relationship always makes me sigh. It's like comfort food.  I know I can just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Calculated in Death was a good solid mystery.  I liked how the plot played out with the unknown assassin.  I didn't understand all of the financial details involved in the mystery, but I really didn't mind.   

There are the usual cast of characters.  The relationship between Peabody and Eve gets funnier all the time.  I love how they play off each other. The scene where Eve talks Peabody into going undercover had me laughing out loud.   It was also fun to see Eve have to endure another session with Trina. My favorite scene in the book is how Eve handles the whiny sick child.  I could use someone like her once in a while.  That scene was priceless!

Susan Erickson once again narrated the audiobook.  I think I will cry if they ever change narrators for this series.  She will forever be the voice of Eve Dallas for me.

Review: Delusion in Death by J. D. Robb

Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam
Date of Publication: September 2012

After years on the force, Eve Dallas didn't think she could be shocked anymore... until now.

In the latest installment of the "In Death" series, we find Eve Dallas trying to find a killer who uses people against themselves.  Someone is releasing a bio weapon that causes extreme rage and hallucinations in people.  The result is mass carnage.  The first scene is a bar filled with people who have turned turn on each other.  The scene is horrific.  As Eve and her team investigate, they realize they have a terrifying mess on their hands. One of the themes that runs through this book is "Any time, anywhere, any place".  How scary is that?  The book is so relevant to today with the potential of bio terrorism always around the corner.  It was a little frightening. 

As for the rest of the story, I enjoyed it.  As you know, I'm a fan of Eve and her crew.  This one was more of a straight cop story.  However, Eve and Roarke are still dealing with the events that happened in Dallas.  Eve has a long way to go to recover. Most people who have had similar  experiences would probably react n the same ways as Eve. We also learn a little more about Summerset and his background.  The usual suspects round out the story nicely.  I don't think I'll ever get enough of the humor that is included in the these books. 

As this is the 35th book, I wouldn't read it as a stand alone. At this point, there is just too much back history involved.  Number 36 comes out in February.  I can't wait!

Celebrity in Death by JD Robb

Author: J D RObb

Publisher: Putnam Adult

Date of publication: February 2012

 

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she's managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It's a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director's luxury building. Now she's at the center of a crime scene-and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster and step into the role she was born to play: cop.

Celebrity in Death is the latest in the adventures of Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke.  I was happy to see that this one was a lot lighter.  After the emotional roller coaster that I was taken on in New York to Dallas, it was a nice change of pace.  Ms. Robb gets back to her basic formula in this one.  There is a lot more of the team as a whole which was missing in the last book.  So, that was a nice change as well. As in all of the "in Death" books, there is a lot of humor mixed in, especially when Eve is trying to navigate her social obligations.  The scene with baby Bella was very endearing.


Is this the best of the "in Death" books?  Not really, but I was still entertained. There wasn't a whole lot going on in this book. It was a pretty straight forward police procedural. Although, I will admit the mystery of who killed the actress was not easy to figure out.  I definitely didn't see it coming.  There are a few twists thrown in that made the story interesting.  Eve and Roarke's relationship still continues to grow and still pretty steamy.  Peabody and McNabb also have some pretty nice scenes together.  It was nice to catch up with them.  I listened to the audio and was happy to see Susan Erickson was still narrating!
 

New York to Dallas by J. D. Robb

Author: J. D. Robb

Publisher: Putnam adult

Audiobook:Brilliance Audio

Date of Publication: September 2011

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

The first thing that struck me about this 33rd volume is that Ms. Robb chose not to use the customary "in Death" in this title.   Once you read the book, you will understand the meaning of "New York to Dallas".  I have read the entire series and while there have been intense moments in a lot of the books, I would have to say that this one is one of the most intense and gut wrenching books in the series.  Reading the In Death books is like visiting old friends.  Eve has grown so much from the first book and I am amazed at how Ms. Robb keeps finding new ways for her to change.


I won't give away too much of the plot in this one.  Suffice it to say that there are a few twists that surprised me. There are some great laugh out loud moments and Roarke is his sweet usual self. I was engrossed from the start.  I listened to the audio book and I found myself sitting in my car in my driveway just to listen to a little bit more.  The one thing that was missing from this one is the usual cast of characters. (Well, except Roarke of course!)  We only get glimpses of them.  While I felt it hurt past books, I was OK with that in this one. Being away from them makes Eve realize how much they are home to her and how much she values them. It was necessary to the story.

Susan Ericksen narrates this volume as usual.  I will be disappointed if they ever change the narrator.  She will always be the voice of Eve Dallas to me.  

Kari's Top 10 of 2011

Here are mine in no particular order.  Honestly, I had more than 10 but these are the ones that stood out for me.
  (OK I cheated like Autumn and added an extra to make 11.) Enjoy!



The Last Blind Date By Linda Yellin
Forbidden by Ted Dekker
Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall
Cloaked by Alex Finn
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
The Heart of a Killer by Jaci Burton
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

Treachery in Death

Author: J. D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam Adult

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime-an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective-good thing she learned from the master.

But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and-while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound-she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn't take long to realize they're both crooked-guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve's husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down-knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret.

I absolutely loved the latest in J.D. Robb's In Death series. Treachery in Death has everything I have come to count on when I visit the world of Eve Dallas. This one was fast paced and kept me hooked from the beginning. I just love the relationships in these books. Peabody and Eve’s partnership moves up to a new level in this installment. I felt like for the first time, they were really partners and not teacher/student. That was refreshing and about time. Eve’s handling of the intricacies of her relationships is always endearing to watch. There is a hilarious scene with Eve and baby Bella that just melted my heart. Treachery in Death is a little different because you know who the culprit is right from the start. It’s in how they catch her that makes it exciting to read. I definitely recommend if you are a fan of the series.

--Kari

Indulgence in Death

author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam Hardcover

First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort found stabbed through the heart with a bayonet.

Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life-and death-are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer.

As time runs out on another innocent victim's life, Eve's investigation will take her into the rarefied circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in-and into the perverted heart of madness...

After 31 Eve Dallas tales (not including the novellas),I still feel like I am visiting family when I read the In Death books. I enjoy watching Eve navigate social etiquette. She is so far from the hard cop with few friends that we met in the first book, but she is still clueless sometimes. I also love her and Roarke's relationship. They are so good together and have come do far over the course of the series. This latest story is more of a straight police procedural this time around, with only glimpses of some of my favorite peripheral characters, like Mavis. I listened to the Brilliance Audio version. Susan Erickson does a wonderful job with the character voices. I hope she continues to narrate the books in the future. 4 stars!